Sleep paralysis...in different countries and cultures. .

Society, culture and folklore

In Scandinavian folklore, sleep paralysis is caused by a mare, a supernatural creature related to incubi and succubi. The mare is a damned woman, who is cursed and her body is carried

mysteriously during sleep and without her noticing. In this state, she visits villagers to sit on their rib cages while they are asleep, causing them to experience nightmares. The Swedish film Marianne

examines the folklore surrounding sleep paralysis.

Folk belief in Newfoundland, South Carolina and Georgia describe the negative figure of the hag who leaves her physical body at night, and sits on the chest of her victim. The victim usually wakes with a feeling of terror, has difficulty breathing because of a perceived heavy invisible weight on his or her chest, and is unable to move i.e., experiences sleep paralysis. This nightmare experience is

described as being "hag-ridden" in the Gullah lore. The "Old Hag" was a nightmare spirit in British and also Anglophone North American folklore.

In Fiji, the experience is interpreted as kana tevoro, being "eaten" by a demon. In many cases the demon can be the spirit of a recently dead relative who has come back for some unfinished

business, or has come to communicate some important news to the living. Often persons sleeping near the afflicted person say kania, kania, "eat! eat!" in an attempt to prolong the possession for a chance to converse with the dead relative or spirit and seek answers as to why he or she has come back. The person waking up from the experience is often asked to immediately curse or chase the spirit of the dead relative, which sometimes involves literally speaking to the spirit and telling him

or her to go away or using expletives.

In Nigeria, "ISP appears to be far more common and recurrent among people of African descent than among whites or Nigerian Africans,"and is often referred to within African communities as

"the Devil on your back."

In Turkey sleep paralysis is called karabasan, and is similar to other stories of demonic visitation during sleep. A supernatural being, commonly known as a djinn (cin in Turkish), comes to the

victim's room, holds him or her down hard enough not to allow any kind of movement, and starts to strangle the person. To get rid of the demonic creature, one needs to pray to Allah with certain lines

from the Qur'an.

In Thailand it is believed that sleep paralysis and discomfort is caused by a ghost of the Thai folklore known as Phi Am (Thai: ผ�อ��). Some people claim that this spirit may even cause bruises.

Stories about this spirit are common in Thai comics.

In the Southern states of the United States, elders refer to it as the "witch riding your back."

In Eastern Chinese folklore, it is thought that a mouse can steal human breath at night. Human breath strengthens the mouse, allowing longevity and the ability to briefly become human at night, in a similar fashion to fox spirits. The person whose breath is being stolen by a mouse sitting near

his face or under the nostrils, experiences sleep paralysis.This section includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient

inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (May 2009)

East Asia

In Chinese culture, sleep paralysis is widely known as "鬼壓身/鬼压身" (pinyin: guǐ yā shēn) or "鬼壓床/鬼压床" (pinyin: guǐ yā chuáng), which literally translate into "ghost pressing on body"

or "ghost pressing on bed." A more modern term is "夢魘/梦魇" (pinyin: mèng yǎn).

In Japanese culture, sleep paralysis is referred to as kanashibari (金縛り), literally "bound or fastened in metal," from "kane" (metal) and "shibaru" (to bind, to tie, to fasten). This term is

occasionally used by English speaking authors to refer to the phenomenon both in academic papers and in pop psych literature.

In Korean culture, sleep paralysis is called gawi nulim (Hangul: 가위눌림), literally, "being pressed down by a ghost." It is often associated with a belief that a ghost or spirit is lying on top of

or pressing down on the sufferer.

In Mongolian culture, nightmares in general as well as sleep paralysis is referred to by the verb-phrase khar darakh (written kara darahu), meaning "to be pressed by the Black" or "when the Dark presses." Kara means black, and may refer to the dark side personified. Kharin buu means "shaman

of the black" (shamans of the dark side only survive in far-northern Mongolia), while tsaghaan zugiin buu means "shaman of the white direction" (referring to shamans who only invoke

benevolent spirits). Compare 'karabasan' (the dark presser) in Turkish, which may date from pre-Islamic times when the Turks had the same religion and mythology as the Mongols. See Mythology

of the Turkic and Mongolian peoples and Tengriism.

South-East Asia

In Cambodian, Lao, and Thai culture sleep paralysis is called phǐǐ am (Thai pronunciation: [pʰǐi.ʔam], Lao pronunciation: [pʰǐi.ʔàm]) and khmout sukkhot. It is described as an event in which the person is sleeping and dreams that one or more ghostly figures are nearby or even holding him or her down. The sufferer is unable to move or make any noises. This is not to be confused with pee

khao and khmout jool, ghost possession.

In Hmong culture, sleep paralysis is understood to be caused by a nocturnal pressing spirit, dab tsog. Dab tsog attacks "sleepers" by sitting on their chests, sometimes attempting to strangle them.

Some believe that dab tsog is responsible for sudden unexpected nocturnal death syndrome (SUNDS), which claimed the lives of over 100 Southeast Asian immigrants in the late 1970s and

early 1980s. Adler (2011) offers a biocultural perspective on sleep paralysis and the sudden deaths. She suggests that an interplay between the Brugada syndrome (a genetic cardiac disorder) and the

traditional meaning of a dab tsog attack are at the heart of the sudden deaths.

In Vietnamese culture, sleep paralysis is called ma đè, meaning "held down by a ghost," or bóng đè, meaning "held down by a shadow."

In Philippine culture, bangungut has traditionally been attributed to nightmares. People who claim

to survive such nightmares report symptoms of sleep paralysis.

In New Guinea, people refer to this phenomenon as Suk Ninmyo, believed to originate from sacred trees that use human essence to sustain its life. The trees are said to feed on human essence during

night as to not disturb the human's daily life, but sometimes people wake unnaturally during the feeding, resulting in the paralysis.

In Malay of Malay Peninsula, sleep paralysis is known as kena tindih (or ketindihan in Indonesia), which means "being pressed." Incidents are commonly considered to be the work of a malign

agency; occurring in what are explained as blind spots in the field of vision, they are reported as demonic figures.

South Asia

In Pakistan, sleep paralysis is considered to be an encounter with Shaitan (Urdu: ننننن ) (Satan), evil jinns or demons who have taken over one's body. Like Iran, this ghoul is known as

'bakhtak' (Urdu: بختک) or 'ifrit'. It is also assumed that it is caused by the black magic performed by enemies and jealous persons. People, especially children and young girls, wear Ta'wiz (Urdu: to ward off evil eye. Spells, incantations and curses could also result in ghouls (Amulet) (تعویز

haunting a person. Some homes and places are also believed to be haunted by evil ghosts, satanic or other supernatural beings and they could haunt people living there especially during the night. Muslim holy persons (Imams, Maulvis, Sufis, Mullahs, Faqirs) perform exorcism on individuals

who are believed to be possessed. The homes, houses, buildings and grounds are blessed and consecrated by Mullahs or Imams by reciting Qur'an and Adhan (Urdu: أ�ذ�ان), the Islamic call to

prayer, recited by the muezzin.

In Bangladesh, the phenomenon of sleep paralysis is referred to as boba meaning "speechless" for the reason that people can't move their body and can't talk even if they want to.

In Tamil Nadu and Sri Lankan Tamil culture, this particular phenomenon is referred to as 'Amuku

Be' or 'Amuku Pei' meaning "the ghost that forces one down."

In Nepal, especially Newari culture it is also known as 'Khyaak' a ghost-like figure believed to reside in the darkness under the staircases of a house.

Middle-East, Western and Central Asia

In Arabic Culture, sleep paralysis is often referred to as 'Ja-thoom' (Arabic: جاثوم), literally "What sits heavily on something". In folklore across Arab countries, the 'Ja-thoom' is believed to be a

shayṭān or a ‘ifrīt sitting on top of the person or is also choking him. It is said that it can be prevented by sleeping on your right side and reading the Throne Verse of the Quran.

In Turkish culture, sleep paralysis is often referred to as "karabasan" ("The dark

presser/assailer"). It is believed to be a creature that attacks people in their sleep, pressing on their chest and stealing their breath. However, folk legends do not provide a reason why the devil or ifrit

does that.

In Persian culture it is known as 'bakhtak' (Persian: بختک), which is a ghost-like creature that sits on the dreamer's chest, making breathing hard for him/her.

In Kurdish culture, sleep paralysis is often referred to as "motakka". It is believed to be a demon

that attacks people in their sleep, and particularly children of young age, which they breathe heavily as for "motakka" will be stealing their breath away and keep it out of reach.

In Kashmiri mythology this is caused by an invisible creature called a "pasikdhar" or a "sayaa". Some people believe that a pasikdhar lives in every house and attacks somebody if the house has

not been cleaned or if god is not being worshiped in the house. One also experiences this if one has been doing something evil or derives pleasure from the misfortunes of others.

Africa

In African American culture, isolated sleep paralysis is commonly referred to as "the witch riding your back."

Ogun Oru is a traditional explanation for nocturnal disturbances among the Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria; ogun oru (nocturnal warfare) involves an acute night-time disturbance that is culturally

attributed to demonic infiltration of the body and psyche during dreaming. Ogun oru is characterized by its occurrence, a female preponderance, the perception of an underlying feud

between the sufferer's earthly spouse and a 'spiritual' spouse, and the event of bewitchment through eating while dreaming. The condition is believed to be treatable through Christian prayers or

elaborate traditional rituals designed to exorcise the imbibed demonic elements.

In Zimbabwean Shona culture the word Madzikirira is used to refer something really pressing one down. This mostly refers to the spiritual world in which some spirit—especially an evil one—tries to use its victim for some evil purpose. The people believe that witches can only be people of close relations to be effective, and hence a witches often try to use one's spirit to bewitch one's relatives.

In Ethiopian culture the word 'dukak' ( ዱካክ - Amharic) is used, which is believed to be an evil spirit that possesses people during their sleep. Some people believe this experience is linked to use

of Khat ( ጫት 'Chat' - Amharic). Khat users experience sleep paralysis when suddenly quitting chewing Khat after use for a long time. In Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia, the word

'dukak' taken out of the context of Khat withdrawal related sleep paralysis, means depression. The evil spirit 'dukak' is an anthropomorphism (anthropomorphic personification) of the depression that

often results from the act of quitting chewing Khat. 'Dukak' often appears in hallucinations of the quitters and metes out punishments to its victims for offending him by quitting. The punishments are

often in the form of implausible physical punishments (e.g., the 'dukak' puts the victim in a bottle and shakes the bottle vigorously) or outrageous tasks the victim must perform (e.g., swallow a bag

of gravel).

In Swahili speaking East Africa, it is known as jinamizi, which refers to a creature sitting on one's chest making it difficult for him/her to breathe. It is attributed to result from a person sleeping on

his back. Most people also recall being strangled by this 'creature'.

In the Moroccan culture, Sleep Paralysis is known as "Bou Rattat" which mean a demon that press & covers all you body so you are not able to move or speak.

Europe

In Finnish folk culture sleep paralysis is called unihalvaus (dream paralysis), but the Finnish word for nightmare, painajainen, is believed to originally have meant sleep paralysis, as the word

painaja translates to pusher or presser, but with nen added to the end.

In Hungarian folk culture sleep paralysis is called lidércnyomás (lidérc pressing) and can be attributed to a number of supernatural entities like lidérc (wraith), boszorkány (witch), tündér

(fairy) or ördögszerető (demon lover). The word boszorkány itself stems from the Turkish root bas-, meaning "to press."

In Iceland folk culture sleep paralysis is generally called having a Mara. A goblin or a succubus (since it is generally female) believed to cause nightmares (the origin of the word 'Nightmare' itself

is derived from an English cognate of her name). Other European cultures share variants of the same folklore, calling her under different names; Proto-Germanic: marōn; Old English: mære;

German: Mahr; Dutch: nachtmerrie; Icelandic, Old Norse, Faroese, and Swedish: mara; Danish: mare; Norwegian: mare; Old Irish: morrigain; Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Slovene: môra;

Bulgarian, Polish: mara; French: cauchemar; Romanian: moroi; Czech: můra; Slovak: mora. The origin of the belief itself is much older, back to the reconstructed Proto Indo-European root mora-,

an incubus, from the root mer- "to rub away" or "to harm."

In Malta, folk culture attributes a sleep paralysis incident to an attack by the Haddiela, who is the wife of the Hares, an entity in Maltese folk culture that haunts the individual in ways similar to a

poltergeist. As believed in folk culture, to get rid of the Haddiela, one must place a piece of silverware or a knife under the pillow prior to sleep.

In Greece and Cyprus, it is believed that sleep paralysis occurs when a ghost-like creature or Demon named Mora, Vrahnas or Varypnas (Greek: Μόρα, Βραχνάς, Βαρυπνάς) tries to steal the

victim's speech or sits on the victim's chest causing asphyxiation.

In Catalan legend and popular culture, the Pesanta is an enormous dog (or sometimes a cat) that goes into people's houses in the night and puts itself on their chests making it difficult for them to breathe and causing them the most horrible nightmares. The Pesanta is black and hairy, with steel

paws, but with holes so it can't take anything.

In Latvian folk culture sleep paralysis is called a torture or strangling by Lietuvēns. It is thought to be a soul of a killed (strangled, drowned, hanged) person and attacks both people and domestic

animals. When under attack, one must move the toe of the left foot to get rid of the attacker.

Americas

During the Salem witch trials several people reported nighttime attacks by various alleged witches, including Bridget Bishop, that may have been caused by sleep paralysis.

In Mexico, it is believed that this is caused by the spirit of a dead person. This ghost lies down upon the body of the sleeper, rendering him unable to move. People refer to this as "subirse el muerto"

(dead person on you).In many parts of the Southern United States, the phenomenon is known as a hag, and the event is

said to portend an approaching tragedy or accident.

In Newfoundland, it is known as the 'Old Hag'. In island folklore, the Hag can be summoned to attack a third party, like a curse. In his 1982 book, The Terror that Comes in the Night, David J.

Hufford writes that in local culture the way to call the Hag is to recite the Lord's Prayer backwards.In contemporary western culture the phenomenon of supernatural assault are thought[by whom?]

to be the work of what are known as shadow people. Victims report primarily three different entities, a man with a hat, the old hag noted above, and a hooded figure. Sleep paralysis is known to involve a component of hallucination in 20% of the cases, which may explain these sightings.

Sleep paralysis in combination with hallucinations has long been suggested as a possible explanation for reported alien abduction.

Several studies show that African-Americans may be predisposed to isolated sleep paralysis—known in folklore as "the witch is riding you" or "the haint is riding you."Other studies show that African-Americans who experience frequent episodes of isolated sleep paralysis, i.e., reporting

having one or more sleep paralysis episodes per month coined as "sleep paralysis disorder," were predisposed to panic attacks. This finding has been replicated by other independent researchers.

In Brazil, there is a legend about a mythological being called the pisadeira ("she who steps (on someone's back)"